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Nothing to see here folks, but to push through an agenda is one thing.. but not to allow everyone to vote is quite another, shame on the Wisconsin Asssembly..

Of course Fox News and the rest of the right wing sites are all saying that the Democrats were asleep at the wheel, and tired from the log debate and somehow missed the opportunity to vote.. 28 Assembly men and women were all asleep???? This WTF moment brought to you by the Koch Industries, now everyone drop you drawers and grab your ankles.. the Koch Boys are coming on through.

After much buildup in the 61-hour debate -- of Republicans wanting things to be over, and Democrats railing against Republicans who they said would cut off debate -- at about 1 AM Speaker Pro Tempore Bill Kramer (R) announced that he would hear a voice vote for a roll call on final passage. Immediately, the majority Republicans shouted their ayes, and the Democrats were booing, as they tried to be recognized to demand a separate motion to cut off debate.

Then Kramer called the vote. Within seconds, the digital vote system on the wall announced 51 ayes and 17 nays, and voting was suddenly closed. With a total of 96 members, that got to a majority for the bill but left 28 members who hadn't had a chance yet to vote.

At that point, the Democrats got up, chanting "Shame! Shame! Shame!" and similar exclamations, as the Republicans filed out of the room.

There were many Democrats I spoke to and overheard in the chamber, who said they didn't get a chance to vote, or that they were pushing the "No" button at their desks as hard as they could -- keep in mind that a majority of their 38-member caucus was recorded as casting no votes at all. (Interesting to note there were also four Republicans who voted no -- after having joined every party-line vote against Democratic amendments.

Let's see the dem senator leave the state, the legislature introduced aover 100 amendments for the purpose of avoid a vote there was 61 hrs of debate, and a majority voted for the budget.

Good glad to see the dems upset.

I hope the Wi Senate gets the message and passes things that don't require the dems to show up like the right to work legislation.

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New word coined today, "Wisconsined" meaning when we want to pass something in a legislature do not let the opposition vote..

Wow imagine if there were a group of people who wanted to uphold the constitution and wanted to insure that things were done according to that document and they bound together..

Oh wait a minute, there is such a group called the "Tea Party", but somehow they can justify violating the basic right of an elected official.. guess once again the constitution is just a situational document.. that goddamned piece of paper.

Nothing to see here folks, but to push through an agenda is one thing.. but not to allow everyone to vote is quite another, shame on the Wisconsin Asssembly..

Of course Fox News and the rest of the right wing sites are all saying that the Democrats were asleep at the wheel, and tired from the log debate and somehow missed the opportunity to vote.. 28 Assembly men and women were all asleep???? This WTF moment brought to you by the Koch Industries, now everyone drop you drawers and grab your ankles.. the Koch Boys are coming on through.

New word coined today, "Wisconsined" meaning when we want to pass something in a legislature do not let the opposition vote..

Wow imagine if there were a group of people who wanted to uphold the constitution and wanted to insure that things were done according to that document and they bound together..

Oh wait a minute, there is such a group called the "Tea Party", but somehow they can justify violating the basic right of an elected official.. guess once again the constitution is just a situational document.. that goddamned piece of paper.

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Basic right? They held a vote the budget was passed by the majority. The dems were upset that their delaying tatics were defeated.

I don't remember you outrage when the Pelosi congress limited debate and when the rules committee wouldn't allow the pubbies to introduce amendment during the health care debate, btw the pubs didn't leave DC.

Save your phony outrage for eople who care.

BTW the Tea Party folks want the WI senators to stop hiding and do the job they are being paid for but not showing up to do.

Basic right? They held a vote the budget was passed by the majority. The dems were upset that their delaying tatics were defeated.

I don't remember you outrage when the Pelosi congress limited debate and when the rules committee wouldn't allow the pubbies to introduce amendment during the health care debate, btw the pubs didn't leave DC.

Save your phony outrage for eople who care.

BTW the Tea Party folks want the WI senators to stop hiding and do the job they are being paid for but not showing up to do.

Maybe the Koch brothers told the WI legislature when to vote? HAHAHA!

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Mr. Naivete, they probably did.. go Tea Party, keep violating the rights of the platform you all stood on.. way to go, you have become the them you warned us about...

There is also a huge difference between limiting debate, and not allowing people to vote.. can you possibly imagine that you do not give the common courtesy, and the right of an elected official their right to vote.. the most sacred item of our democracy has been "Wisconsined"...

Guess next election they should let the early returns come out as well as the projections, so the people on the west coast do not have to bother voting.. that makes sense.

New word coined today, "Wisconsined" meaning when we want to pass something in a legislature do not let the opposition vote..

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What if this happened in Massachusetts?

The republicans are few and far between in the state house, but what
if they went to New Hampshire to protest a vote to change the bill
to allow Deval Patrick to appoint Paul Kirk to Ted Kennedy's senate seat.

If that happened, should the Democrats have waited for them to return before voting?

Without the Kirk vote, there would be no Obamacare..

Imagine if the minorty party ran to another state every time they did not
like a bill that was going to be passed.

The republicans are few and far between in the state house, but what
if they went to New Hampshire to protest a vote to change the bill
to allow Deval Patrick to appoint Paul Kirk to Ted Kennedy's senate seat.

If that happened, should the Democrats have waited for them to return before voting?

Without the Kirk vote, there would be no Obamacare..

Imagine if the minorty party ran to another state every time they did not
like a bill that was going to be passed.

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No one can defend the dem's running aways like a bunch of loser-cowards...no one. It is simply idefensible

No one can defend the dem's running aways like a bunch of loser-cowards...no one. It is simply idefensible

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Loser-cowards, is it?

Goose, meet Gander.

Republicans followed through this morning on their threat to boycott a Senate committee's work this week on a sweeping climate change bill.

The only one to show up, the Associated Press reports, was George Voinovich of Ohio, the ranking Republican on the environment committee, and he only attended to explain why the GOP is staying away. He said the tactic "is not a ruse" to block the bill, but reflects concern that the full economic impact of the bill has not been studied or made clear.

Judge David Hamilton will testify once again before the Senate Judiciary Committee at the behest of the committee's Republicans, most of whom refused to attend his first hearing.

President Obama tapped Hamilton on March 17 to fill a vacancy on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, and two weeks later, most members of the committee minority refused to attend the first hearing to consider his nomination

FYI Abraham Lincoln employed the same tactic... can that be defended???...

So in your mind violating the constitution, but not allowing an elected official to exercise his or her right to vote is ok in your mind..

Guess in the whacko world of the right, the end justifes the means..

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If you're not going to make yourself available to vote, you don't deserve a vote. If Abe did it, it's still wrong. You think everything he did was ok just cuz he's Abe? That's utterly ridiculous Darryl

At what point should the republicans stopped waiting for the dem's to return? In your mind, how long would have been "too long" for the dem's to stay out of town. Please be specific.

The "don't show up for work" strategy being used by Wisconsin and Indiana Democrats to deny Republicans a quorom is nothing compared to what Abraham Lincoln did to stop a vote in the Illinois legislature in 1840.

On December 5, 1840, Democrats "proposed an early adjournment, knowing this would bring a speedy end to the State Bank. The Whigs tried to counter by leaving the capitol building before the vote, but the doors were locked. That's when Lincoln made his move. He headed for the second story, opened a window and jumped to the ground!"

Awesome.

"For a while Lincoln's escape denied the House its quorum, but it didn't last long. He was returned to the chambers and the House voted to adjourn."

MrsP, where did I say only DEMOCRATS who run away are cowards? In my opinion, all politicians who employ this tactic are cowards...no matter their party. They have a responsibility to vote at the sceduled time.

Republicans followed through this morning on their threat to boycott a Senate committee's work this week on a sweeping climate change bill.

The only one to show up, the Associated Press reports, was George Voinovich of Ohio, the ranking Republican on the environment committee, and he only attended to explain why the GOP is staying away. He said the tactic "is not a ruse" to block the bill, but reflects concern that the full economic impact of the bill has not been studied or made clear.

Judge David Hamilton will testify once again before the Senate Judiciary Committee at the behest of the committee's Republicans, most of whom refused to attend his first hearing.

President Obama tapped Hamilton on March 17 to fill a vacancy on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, and two weeks later, most members of the committee minority refused to attend the first hearing to consider his nomination

If they want to be heard, then they have to show up. Did you expect the republicans to wait for them to be heard on their time, did you?[/quoet]

Um, you do understand they're still waiting, don't you?

The bill that got passed without waiting for everyone to vote (and it's not that it would have changed the results, and we all (I think) understand that, but it would have given everyone an opportunity to be counted - which is a basic right and one which senators and congressmen eventually use to prove to their constituents that a) they voted and b) how they voted) was passed in the ASSEMBLY not in the SENATE.

The SENATORS from Wi. are still out. No vote can be taken until they come back since they need at least 1 Democrat to make a quorum.

Can you tell us why the Dem's left the state MrsP?

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Because they have been told, repeatedly, that there is no room for negotiations. The Republicans have tried to push through the bill with little public debate or scrutiny, they are refusing to allow debate on the floor regarding any part of the bill and the governor, while finding an abundance time to talk to a faux Koch, has not found time to talk to them in spite of repeated efforts to speak to him on the part of the democratic senators.

Perhaps you can tell me why the Republican co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee prevented a "citizen filibuster" and limited the amount of time that residents had to speak, prompting protests from the people who were shut out of hearing without being heard? Or why Republican Assembly members refused to stay around and listen to their testimony? In an interview with The Huffington Post on Saturday, Democratic Rep. Brett Hulsey said that members of his caucus continued to listen to hundreds of hours of testimony after the Republicans walked out.

Why was this Republican sponsored, 140 page bill presented on a Monday with the intention of holding a public hearing on Tuesday (which the Republicans didn't stick around for) and being taken up in the Senate on Thursday, and voted on immediately without explanation or debate?

Perhaps you can tell me why, if this is only "about the budget," that Walker is refusing to take the concessions already given (Democratic Senators have already agreed to pass the bit about the raise in the amount of insurance and pension co-pay) and allow the remaining bit about collective bargaining rights to be, at the very least, discussed?

Like I said earlier, it may not change the final vote due but it does give everyone due process and the chance to be heard.

Which was, last I heard, one of the cornerstones of democracy.

Just because the outcome is fixed already it doesn't mean the other team shouldn't get a chance to suit up and play as if they had a chance.

Because they have been told, repeatedly, that there is no room for negotiations. The Republicans have tried to push through the bill with little public debate or scrutiny, they are refusing to allow debate on the floor regarding any part of the bill and the governor, while finding an abundance time to talk to a faux Koch, has not found time to talk to them in spite of repeated efforts to speak to him on the part of the democratic senators.

Perhaps you can tell me why the Republican co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee prevented a "citizen filibuster" and limited the amount of time that residents had to speak, prompting protests from the people who were shut out of hearing without being heard? Or why Republican Assembly members refused to stay around and listen to their testimony? In an interview with The Huffington Post on Saturday, Democratic Rep. Brett Hulsey said that members of his caucus continued to listen to hundreds of hours of testimony after the Republicans walked out.

Why was this Republican sponsored, 140 page bill presented on a Monday with the intention of holding a public hearing on Tuesday (which the Republicans didn't stick around for) and being taken up in the Senate on Thursday, and voted on immediately without explanation or debate?

Perhaps you can tell me why, if this is only "about the budget," that Walker is refusing to take the concessions already given (Democratic Senators have already agreed to pass the bit about the raise in the amount of insurance and pension co-pay) and allow the remaining bit about collective bargaining rights to be, at the very least, discussed?

Like I said earlier, it may not change the final vote due but it does give everyone due process and the chance to be heard.

Which was, last I heard, one of the cornerstones of democracy.

Just because the outcome is fixed already it doesn't mean the other team shouldn't get a chance to suit up and play as if they had a chance.

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I think Walker agrees with FDR's opinion that unions don't belong in the public sector, so why negotiate?